Wrecking ball brings school down

The wrecking ball crashed into Madison Middle School Wednesday, and the demolition of the “California-style” school buildings is underway.

Asbestos abatement started in November, according to Superintendent Chuck McCauley. The site should be cleared in a few months. Once demolition is complete the site will be graded and grass will be planted.

Madison Middle School was built in 1958 for $780,094. Many additions were added to the building over the years. Some of the school’s historic interiors — including the Madison Middle School logo on the basketball court in the gym have been saved. The logo will be repurposed.

The architectural style of the buildings were ill-suited for Oklahoma’s weather, and the materials didn’t age well. Maintenance costs were high at the complex. The required upkeep created a poor learning environment for students and staff, McCauley said.

The school’s demolition ends the projects approved by voters in the 2013 bond issue, which reconfigured the district’s secondary schools, and incorporated the Freshmen Academy into the high school.

In November, the school district awarded a $363,090.62 demolition contract to G&G Dozer. The district decided to raze the building after it didn’t receive any acceptable bids to purchase the complex, located in the 500 block of south Madison Boulevard.